d. Go, get thee hence, for I will not These dead men's tombs.

Watch. [Within.] Lead, boy:-Which To see thy son and heir more early down. . Yea, noise ?-then I'll be brief.-0 Mon. Alas, my liege, my wite is dead to happy dagger! [breath: [Snatching Romeo's Dagger. Grief of my son's exile hath stopp'd her Is Is thy sheath; {Stabs herself.] there rust, What further woe conspires against mine age? and let me die. Prince. Look, and thou shalt see. [this, Mon. O thou untanght! what manners is in To press before thy father to a grave?

To rid her from this second marriage,
Or, in my cell there would she kill herself.
Then gave I her, so tutor'd by my art,
[Romeo. | A sleeping potion; which so took effect
As I intended, for it wrought on her
The form of death: meantime I writ to Romeo,
That he should hither come as this dire night,
To help to take her from her borrow'd grave,
Being the time the potion's force should cease.
But he which bore my letter, friar John,
Was staid by accident; and yesternight
Return'd my letter back: Then all alone,
At the prefixed hour of her waking,
Came I to take her from her kindred's vault;
Meaning to keep her closely at my cell,
Till I conveniently could send to Romeo:
↑ The dagger.

But, when I came, (some minute ere the time
Of her awakening,) here untimely lay
The noble Paris, and true Romeo, dead.
She wakes; and I entreated her come forth,
And bear this work of heaven with patience:
But then a noise did scare me from the tomb;
And she, too desperate, would not go with me,
But (as it seems,) did violence on herself.
All this I know; and to the marriage
Her nurse is privy: And, if aught in this
Miscarried by my fault, let my old life
Be sacrificed, some hour before his time,
Unto the rigour of severest law.
Prince. We still have known thee for a holy

man.

[this? Where's Romeo's man? what can he say in Bal. I brought my master news of Juliet's death;

And then in post he came from Mantua,
To this same place, to this same monument.
This letter he early bid me give his father;
And threaten'd me with death, going in the
If I departed not, and left him there. [vault,
Prince. Give me the letter, I will look on
it.-
[watch?-
Where is the county's page, that raised the
Sirrah, what made your master in this place?
Page. He came with flowers to strew his
lady's grave;

And bid me stand aloof, and so I did:
Anon, comes one with light to ope the tomb:

And, by and by, my master drew on ho
And then I ran away to call the wata.
Prince. This letter doth makt gel
friar's words,

Their course of love, the tidings of br
And here he writes-that he did bay 13xxn
Of a poor 'pothecary, and therewith
Came to this vault to die, and lie with dua
Where be these enemies? Capelet Marga
See, what a scourge is laid up NIE
That heaven finds means to kill yar ya
And I, for winking at your discorda tej
Have lost a brace of kinsmen:
punish'd.

Cap. O, brother Montague give me
This is my daughter's jointure, for a s
Can I demand.
But I can give thee wit

Mon.

For I will raise her statue in pure g
That, while Verona by that name is tast
There shall no figure at such rate be
As that of true and faithful Juliet.
Cap. As rich shall Romeo by tally de
Poor sacrifices of our enmity!
Prince. A glooming peace this may d
it brings;

Go

The sun for sorrow will not st
hence, to have more talk of the
Some shall be pardon'd, and so
For never was a story of more way.
Than this of Juliet and her Roma En

* Mercutio and Paris.

This play is one of the most pleasing of our author's performances. The scenes and various, the incidents numerous and important, the catastrophe irresistibly aft the process of the action carried on with such probability, at least with such company popular opinions, as tragedy requires.

Here is one of the few attempts of Shakspeare to exhibit the conversation of represent the airy sprightliness of juvenile elegance. Mr. Dryden mentions a tra might easily reach his time, of a declaration made by Shakspeare, that he was ident Mercutio in the third Act, lest he should have been killed by him. Yet he mak no such formidable person, but that he might have lived through the play, and tied vo his bed, without danger to the poet. Dryden well knew, had he been isst of tra pointed sentence, that more regard is commonly had to the words than the thought, and that is very seldom to be rigorously understood. Mercutio's wit, gaiety, and courage, w procure him friends that wish him a longer life; but his death is not precipitated, be he out the time allotted him in the construction of the play; nor do I doubt the aby of speare to have continued his existence, though some of his sallies are perhaps out of of Dryden; whose genius was not very fertile of merriment, nor dactile to humour, bet act argumentative, comprehensive, and sublime.

The Nurse is one of the characters in which the author delighted: be has, with great rah of distinction, drawn her at once loquacious and secret, obsequious and insolent, trasy

dishonest.

His comic scenes are happily wrought, but his pathetic strains are always pollate some unexpected depravations. His persons, however distressed, have a conceit left to in their misery, a miserable conceit.-JOHNSON.

F

HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK.

BEDIUS, king of Denmark.

Persons represented.

FRANCISCO, a soldier.

ET, son to the former, and nephew to REYNALDO, servant to Polonius.

e present, king.

NIUS, lord chamberlain.

(T10, friend to Hamlet.
TES, son to Polonius.

IMAND, CORNELIUS, ROSENCRANTZ,
UILDENSTERN, courtiers.
c. A Courtier.

her Courtier.

A Captain. An Ambassador.
Ghost of Hamlet's father.
FORTINBRAS, prince of Norway.

GERTRUDE, Queen of Denmark, and mother
of Hamlet.

OPHELIA, daughter of Polonius.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Players. Grave-diggers, Sailors, Messengers, and other Attendants.

Scene-Elsinore.

NE 1. Elsinore. A Platform before the Castle.

ANCISCO on his Post. Enter to him

BERNARDO.

tr. Who's there?

Ber. Welcome, Horatio; welcome, good
[to night?
Marcellus.
Hor. What, has this thing appear'd again
Ber. I have seen nothing.

Mar. Horatio says, 'tis but our fantasy;
And will not let belief take hold of him.

ran. Nay, answer me: stand, and unfold Touching this dreaded sight, twice seen of us; rself.

er. Long live the king!

Cran.

er.

Bernardo?

He. ran. You come most carefully upon your [bed, Francisco. hour. er. Tis now struck twelve, get thee to ran. For this relief much thanks: 'tis [bitter cold, I am sick at heart. ter. Have you had quiet guard? Not a mouse stirring.

ran.

ter. Well, good night,
on do meet Horatio and Marcellus,
rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.
Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.
ran. I think I hear them.-Stand, ho!
Who is there?

Tor. Friends to this ground.
Mar.

And liegemen to the Dane.

Fran. Give you good night.
Mar.

O, farewell, honest soldier:

ho hath relieved you? Fran.

ve you good night. Mar. Ber..

Bernardo hath my place.
Erit FRANCISCO.

Ber.

Therefore I have entreated him, along
With us to watch the minutes of this night;
That, if again this apparition come,
He may approve our eyes, and speak to it.
Hor. Tush! tush! 'twill not appear.
Sit down awhile;
And let us once again assail your ears,
That are so fortified against our story,
What we two nights have seen.
Well, sit we down,
Hor.
[the pole,
And let us hear Bernardo speak of this.
Ber. Last night of all,
When yon same star that's westward from
Had made his course to illume that part of

heaven

The bell then beating one,-
Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself,

Mar. Peace, break thee off; look, where
{Enter Ghost.
it comes again!
Ber. In the samne figure like the king that's
[ratio.
dead.
Mar. Thou art a scholar, speak to it, Ho
Ber. Looks it not like the king? mark it,
[fear and wonder.
Horatio.
Hor. Most like:-it harrows me with
Ber. It would be spoke to.
Mar.
Hor. What art thou that usurp'st this time
of night,

Holla! Bernardo!

Say.

́hat, is Horatio there? Hor.

A piece of him.

• Partners. + Make good or establish.

SHAKSPEARE.

Hor. As thou art to thyself:

Of this post-haste and romage at
[Ber. I think it be no other, b
Well may it sort, that this para
Comes armed through our watch, wha
king

That was, and is, the question of them đã
Hor. A mote it is to trouble the

Is it not like the king? In the most high and palmy ¶¶ starve
A little ere the mightiest Jais (es)
The graves stood tenantless, and that
Did squeak and gibber in the Roma T

Such was the very armour he had on,
When he the ambitious Norway combated;
So frown'd he once, when, in an angry parle*
He smote the sledded + Polack on the ice.
'Tis strange.

Mar. Thus twice before, and jump at this
dead hour,

With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch.
Hor. In what particular thought to work I
know not;

But, in the gross and scope of mine opinion,
This bodes some strange eruption to our state.
Mar. Good now, sit down, and tell me, he
that knows,

Why this same strict and most observant watch
So nightly toils the subject of the land;
And why such daily cast of brazen cannon,
And foreigu mart for implements of war;
Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore

task

Does not divide the sunday from the week:
What might be toward, that this sweaty haste
Doth make the night joint-labourer with the
Who is't that can inform me ?
Hor.
[day;

At least, the whisper goes so.
That can 1;
Whose image even but now appear'd to us,
Our last king,
Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,
Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate pride,'
Dared to the combat; in which our valiant
Hamlet
(For so this side of our known world esteem'd
[him,)
Did slay this Fortinbras; who, by a seal'd

compact,

Well ratified by law and heraldry,
Did forfeit with his life all those his lands,
Which he stood seized of, to the conqueror:
Against the which, a moiety competent
Was gaged by our king; which had return'd
To the inheritance of Fortinbras,
Had he been vanquisher; as, by the same
[eb-mart |
And carriage of the article design'd¶, [bras
His fell to Hamlet: Now, sir, young Fortin-
Of unimproved mettle hot and full **,
Hath in the skirts of Norway, here and there,
Shark'd it up a list of landless resolutes,
For food and diet, to some enterprise

• Dispute.

+ Sledge. **Full of spirit without experience. Joint bargain. Victorious.

If thou art privy to thy country's
Which, happily, foreknowag, saya,
0, speak!

Or, if thou hast uphoarded in th
Extorted treasure in the worst e
For which, they say, you spirits ***
Speak of it:-stay, and speak-ye
death,

cellus.

F

Mar. Shall I strike at it with my partina:
Her. Do, if it will not sand-

Ber.

Hor.

Mar. 'Tis gone!

Tix 201 Exit Ga

Exte

We do it wrong, being so majestical,
To offer it the show of violence;
For it is, as the air, invulnerable,
And our vain blows malicious mochet
Ber. It was about to speak when the ta

crew.

Upon a fearful summoss. I have h
Hor. And then it started, like a guy
Doth with his lofty and shrill soundin
The cock, that is the trumpet of the man
Awake the god of day; and, at au wa
Whether in sea or fire, in earth ara,
Polander, an inhabitant of Poland.
The covenant to confirm that bargain.
++ Picked. Resolution.
Search.
++ Event.

*** The moon.

L

A

HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK,

xtravagavant and erring spirit bies
contine: and of the truth herein
resent object made probation 4.

r. It faded on the crowing of the cock.
say,
that ever 'gainst that season comes
ein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
bird of dawning singeth all night long!
hen they say no spirit dares stir abroad;
ughts are wholesome; then no planets
[charm,
Alt strike,
airy takes, nor witch hath power to
Cellow'd and so gracious is the time.
gr. So have I heard, and do in part be-
lieve it.

ook! the morn, in russet mantle clad, xs o'er the dew of yon high eastern hill:

we our watch up: and, by my advice, simpart what we have seen to-night young Hamlet: for, upon my life, spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him: ou consent we shall acquaint him with it, edful in our loves, fitting our duty? daar. Let's do't, I pray; and I this morning know

3

ore we shall find him most convenient.

[Exeunt.
INE II. The same. A Room of State
in the same.

er the King, Queen, HAMLET, POLO-
US, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNE-
us, Lords, and Attendants.

ing. Though yet of Hamlet, our dear
brother's death

memory be green; and that it us befitted
bear our hearts in grief, and our whole
kingdom

e contracted in one brow of woe;
so far hath discretion fought with nature,
t we with wisest sorrow think on him,
ether with remembrance of ourselves.
refore our sometime sister, now our queen,
imperial jointress of this warlike state,
ve we, as 'twere, with a defeated joy,-
th one auspicious, and one-dropping eye;
th mirth in funeral, and with dirge in mar-
riage,

eqnal scale weighing delight and dole,-
cen to wife; nor have we herein barr'd

ar better wisdoms, which have freely gone
ith this affair along :-For all, our thanks.
Now follows, that you know, young Fortin-
bras,-

#olding a weak supposal of our worth;

thinking, by our late dear brother's death, ar state to be disjoint and out of frame, olleagued with this dream of his advantage, e hath not fail'd to pester us with message, nporting the surrender of those lands ost by his father, with all bands of law, o our most valiant brother.-So much for bim.

low for ourself, and for this time of meeting. bus much the business is: We have here writ Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,

1 Grief.

Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hear
Of this his nephew's nurpose,-to suppress
His further gait herein; in that the levies,
The lists, and full proportions, are all made
you, Voltimand,
Out of his subject:--and we here despatch
You, good Cornelius, and
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway;
Giving to yon no further personal power
To business with the king, more than the scope
Of these dilated articles allow,
[show our duty.
Farewell; and let your haste commend your
duty.
Cor. Vol. In that, and all things, will we
King. We doubt it nothing; heartily fæo well.

[Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS.
And now, Laertes, what's the news with you?
You told us of some suit; What is't, Laertes?
You cannot speak of reason to the Dane,
And lose your voice: What wouldst thou beg,
Laertes,

That shall not be my offer, not thy asking?
The head is not more native to the heart,
The hand more instrumental to the mouth,
Than is the throne of Desmark to thy father.
What wouldst thou have, Laertes?
My dread lord,
Laer.
Your leave and favour to return to France;
From whence though willingly I came to Den-
To show my duty in your coronation; [mark,
Yet now, I must confess, that duty done,
[pardon.
My thoughts and wishes bend again toward
And bow them to your gracious leave and
King. Have you your father's leave? What
[slow leave,
says Polonius?
Pol. He hath, my lord, [wrung from me tay
By laboursome petition; and, at last,
Upon his will I seal'd my hard consent :]
I do beseech you, give him leave to go.

France,

King. Take thy fair hour, Laertes; time be
thine,

And thy best graces: spend it at thy will.-
But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son,-
Ham. A little more than kin, and less than
kind ¶.

[Aside.

King, How is it that the clouds still hang ou
[sun.
yon?
Hum. Not so, my lord, I am too much i'the
Queen. Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted co-
[mark,

Jour off,

And let thine eye look like a friend on Den-
Do not, for ever, with thy valid lids
Seek for thy noble father in the dust:
Thou know'st 'tis common; all, that live, must
[die,
Passing through nature to eternity.
Ham. Ay, madam, it is common.
If it be,
Queen.
Why seems it so particular with thee?
Ham. Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know

not seems.

'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected haviour of the visage,

6 Bonds.
↑ Proof.
Wandering.
little more than a kinsman, and less than a natural one.